Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's: A Second Rose
by GunnerDragon
Summary: A what if based in the world of Tag Force 4. Akiza has a younger sister that she's trying to reconnect to. Konami tags along as she tries to rebuild her relationship, while still under the watchful eye of Sayer and the Arcadia Movement. How will this sibling alter her journey for redemption and acceptance?
1. Chapter 1

Just a disclaimer to say, that Yu-Gi-Oh doesn't belong to me. All characters are owned by others. I'm merely using them in this fanfic for fun.

Thanks to K -316 for the prompt on this one.

 **Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's – A Second Rose – Chapter One**

The sun shone brightly up over Neo Domino City. The citizens were making the most of the fine weather, basking in the sun, some with ice cream cones. Little kids excitedly ran about the place while parents chased after. Couples went for romantic strolls in the parks and office workers were out on their lunch breaks. It seemed as those everyone was outside. However, there was one person indoors.

Konami sat hunched over his work bench tinkering with a part for his Duel Runner. The humidity in his garage (the side room in his apartment) meant he had his signature red jacket and hat up on the coat rack in the corner of the room. His dark grey t-shirt was stained from sweat and smeared with oil. He wiped his forehead with the back of one of his gloved hands. The work on this piece was much more taxing than he initially realised it would be.

After the incident with Crow and Rally back in the Satellite, his old Duel Runner was sadly demolished. This meant he had to start work on his new one from scratch. Thankfully, as he was a mechanic, this wasn't too much of a burden. In the free time between jobs, he could always continue working on it. The problem for him was due to the Satellite incident he wasn't able to travel there to collect some of the parts he needed. As a result, he had to build several of the parts himself.

He narrowed his eyes as he concentrated on the schematics of the engine blueprints Yusei had lent him. The Satellite Duelist was a genius when it came to Duel Runners, so Konami was happy to accept any help or advice Yusei could offer. As Konami was a full-time mechanic that spoke about the level of tech wizardry the crab-haired Satellite duelist was on.

He continued to tighten the bolt on the frame of the scrap metal, his stomach started growling. The brown haired boy looked over at the clock to see if it was close to breakfast. He gasped when he realised that it was one o'clock and he had already spent seven hours working on his Duel Runner.

"Ah, great," He muttered to himself as he stood up from his desk, "so much for only a quick bit of work before breakfast….."

" _I did try to warn you, Sir._ " The Marauding Captain said as he sat in the corner. " _Several times in fact. But you were too caught up in your work._ "

"Not helpful." Konami said as he tided away his tools.

" _Honestly, I don't understand your fascination with that contraption. It's a sure fire way too die if you ask me_."

He threw back on his red hat and jacket as he walked up the stairs to his one room apartment. It wasn't the most luxurious place in the city, but it was definitely a step up from the Satellite. The bedroom, kitchen and sitting room were all in the one room, the only other doors being the bathroom and the front door.

Konami made his way over to the small fridge beside the sink. He opened the door to see a single can of soda. He hung his head as he remembered that he was meant to do his groceries yesterday after his work on the Tops Plaza hotel. Of course, he ended up getting sidetracked into a duel and completely forgot about his chores.

"Well, time to get around to it." He murmured as he made his way out of his apartment. "No jobs today so I've some free time…."

As Red Hat walked along the footpath to the downtown district, he started to think about how much harder life in the City was compared to Duel Academy. There he always had someone along with him to remind him of all his menial tasks. The food was proved for the students as well, so he had grown accustomed to not having to do his shopping. Lost in his nostalgic thought, he quickly reached the shopping centre.

He made the rounds picking up everything he needed. The amount of meat and rice he bought would last him a week, giving him all that precious time to work on his Duel Runner. At this stage, the red hat wearing duelist knew that he wouldn't have his Duel Runner in time for the Fortune Cup. As any self-respecting turbo duelist would do, he would have to turn down the invitation. It was such a shame that he couldn't match wits against Yusei and the King, Jack Atlas.

Konami had started to walk back through the districts main street when he suddenly felt a strong presence. More than just a mere physical presence, he could feel the sounds of Duel Monster Spirits. They sounded distressed and in pain. Looking around for the source of such negative emotions, Konami's eyes locked on a girl standing just off to the side of the road.

Her burgundy hair was neck length, except for her bangs which ran down over her shoulders. Her fringe was rolled back out of her face by some strange metallic device. Her dress was a strange mix between a Victorian era corset and military uniform with stockings all the way up her legs. She wore red, heeled pumps and a gold necklace with an emerald gem. However, to Konami, the most striking feature was her eyes.

Her brown eyes displayed so much hatred and contempt for her surroundings. She looked at everyone with disgust, as if they were below her. Despite this they couldn't mask one thing from Konami. He could see the fear in her eyes. The fear that Konami immediately recognised as her fear of being in an unfamiliar place.

She had changed since he had last seen her, but he had no doubt about who she was. The infamous Black Rose. Even without her mask that he had heard so much about from the Underground duel tournaments, he could tell that it was her.

Slowly he made his way over to her. The Spirits were asking him to help her as well as having his own desire to help the girl. "Hey there!" He said as flashed a reassuring smile. "You're Akiza Izinski, right?"

The girl turned her glare at him. Konami slightly hesitated before continuing to walk forward. ' _Thank Ra that looks don't kill._ '

"Who's asking?" Akiza responded not lowering her glare.

"K-Konmai. Konami Himura. Nice to meet you." Red Hat responded holding out his hand for a handshake. He quickly lowered his hand when Akiza stared at it like she might try ripping it off.

"What do you want?" She asked, clearly in no mood to put up with some strangers' advances.

Konami gulped. This girl was intense. "I just noticed that you looked kinda lost and was wondering if you need any help?"

Akiza continued to stare a hole in Konami. She barely blinked as she glared at him. "Suppose I was. Why would you help me? What do you want? You already seem to know who I am. How do you know that?"

"W-Well, I was always taught to help people out when they need my help." Konami said regaining his smile. "I don't want anything from you. I promise."

"How do you know who I am?" Akiza asked, looking frustrated by the boy avoiding the biggest question.

"I've seen some of your underground duels." Konami tried to explain away.

"Really?" Akiza said as she raised a sceptical eyebrow. "I wear a mask and go by an alias. So that doesn't hold up. Explain."

"Well-" Konami began before he was interrupted.

"It's the witch!" A gruff voice yelled out. Both Konami and Akiza turned to face a pair of men with markers on their face. One was wearing a red jacket and had brown hair. The other was blonde with a green jacket. "It's time to pay!"

"Ah!" Akiza said turning back to face Konami, the hatred in her eyes somehow intensified. "I see. You were trying to stall me for when your friends arrived."

"What!? No! I'm not with them." Konami said, pleading his innocence.

"Well you better not be with her either!" The brown haired man yelled, eyeing Konami suspiciously. "Otherwise we're going to have a problem."

"Hold up!" Konami shouted back. "What's your problem?"

"Our problem?" The blonde man repeated. "The Black Rose Witch is our problem. Right, KenYou?"

"Damn right, Pablo!" KenYou yelled. "Your little girlfriend has been causing everyone some grief. Time for her to get what's coming to her!"

"We're not dating!" Konami yelled.

"Oh please!" Akiza said, clearly not impressed or threatened by the two boys. "If you're so eager for payback how about we duel right here and settle it then?"

"Fine by us." Pablo yelled. "Two on Two! Us versus you and your little boyfriend!"

Akiza scoffed at this. "As if I need him to beat you two. By the way, we're not dating!"

"Jeez," Konami said looking at Akiza as he lowered his shopping bags to the ground, "why don't you tell me how you really feel?"

Akiza silenced him with a single death stare. She activated her duel disk, sighing when she heard Konami do the same. "Did you not hear what I just said?"

"I can't let you do this alone." Konami said. "Two versus one isn't fair."

Akiza sighed again. "I don't think you're going to take no for an answer." She didn't object any further though.

"You'll wish you stayed out of this, dork!" KenYou yelled as he and Pablo activated their duel disks.

"It's time to duel!"

 **AKIZA &KONAMI 8000LP VS PABLO&KENYOU 8000LP**

"I'll start off!" Pablo yelled, drawing his card. "I'll summon the Goblin Attack Force in Attack Mode and throw three cards face down."

"Is that all?" Akiza asked as she began her turn. "I'll summon Twilight Rose Knight in Attack Mode." (ATK: 1400). "Next, I'll activate his effect and special summon Violet Witch in Attack Mode." (ATK: 1100).

Konami couldn't help but flinch as saw that Monster appeared. A shiver ran down his back as he thought back to the last time he saw it. It went unnoticed by Akiza however. He looked at the field and immediately knew what was coming with the Tuner Monster and a non-Tuner Monster on the field.

"It's time to show you my power!" Akiza yelled. "I'll tune my level 3 Twilight Rose Knight with my level 4 Violet Witch. Chilling flames engulf the entire world. Pitch-dark flower, set into bloom! Appear now, Black Rose Dragon!"

A storm blew around the duelists, sending rose petals flying about the place. Konami lifted his arms to protect himself. The petals left many small cuts on any exposed piece of flesh on his arms. When he lowered his arms back down he saw a huge Dragon in front of him. The black Dragon was decorated it red roses and had vines spread about it. The first thing that struck him was the feeling of pain radiating from the beast.

"I'll now activate my Dragon's effect." Akiza said, the only one of the duelists who wasn't reeling from the appearance of her ace card. "It can destroy all cards on the field!"

"W-What?" Pablo asked, looking horrified as the winds picked up again. His Goblins and face downs were blown away leaving his field completely clear.

"I'm not done yet. I'll activate Monster Reborn to bring back my Black Rose Dragon!"

"For the love of Ra!" Konami yelled out as he covered up again. The wind was just as painful this time.

"Now my Black Rose Dragon will attack you directly." One of the Dragon's vines shot out like a whip and knocked Pablo to the ground. ( **LP: 5600** ). "I'll end my turn with a face down."

"M-M-My turn…" KenYou stuttered out, looking nervous as his partner was still trying to make his way to his feet. "I'll play set one Monster face down and play two cards face down. I end my turn."

Konami looked around the field as he drew his card. Akiza had caused Pablo some damage with one attack. The cuts on his arms stung slightly as well. Thankfully that was the extent of the damage so far. Their opponents had clearly lost any bravado they had before the duel. It would be a straight up slaughter if he didn't end this before Akiza got another turn. Knowing this he set out to end the duel this turn.

"I'll summon my Marauding Captain in Attack Mode." (ATK: 1200). "Next, I'll use his special effect to special summon the Comrade of Landstar to the field in Attack Mode." (ATK: 500). "Then, I'll tune my level 3 Comrade with my level 3 Captain to Synchro Summon a level 6. Icy winds blow in and freeze my enemies' hearts. Come forth, Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier." (ATK: 2300).

Ice cold winds were whipped up as a light formed in the centre. A Dragon emerged from it, covered in ice that shone in the sunlight. The Monster was as beautiful as it was dangerous.

"I'll activate his effect. By discarding three cards, I'll return your three cards to your hand." KenYou flinched, as once again they were left defenceless. "I'll attack you directly with Black Rose Dragon." Luckily for the boy, Konami didn't share his partner's powers and he was left physically unharmed as a result. (LP: 3200). "Finally, I'll have Brionac attack you directly after I use the quick play spell card to give him an extra 1000 Attack Points." The Sea Serpent blew out a stream of ice shards that reduced the opponents LPs to zero.

 **AKIZA &KONAMI 8000LP (WIN) VS PABLO&KENYOU 0000LP (LOSE)**

The boys collapsed to the ground, shell-shocked by their opponents' skills. Pablo looked like he was still recovering from the single blow from Akiza. KenYou looked revealed to escape without taking a hit.

"It appears as though you actually have some talent as a duelist." Akiza said, as she turned to face her partner.

Konami looked at Akiza, plastering a smile onto his face. "You too!" He said, hiding his fear. He was still trying to wrap his head around the feeling of pain from her Monsters. It was so strong. He wondered if they reflected a pain hat Akiza was hiding.

"You still haven't explained how you know me though." Akiza said, not letting the issue slip.

"Well, it's complicated…." Konami said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Pablo and KenYou started getting up, glaring at Akiza as they did so. Akiza's head snapped to attention as she felt the eyes on her.

"Why don't you leave before I actually break a sweat?" Akiza said with a sinister look in her eyes.

KenYou and Pablo ran as fast as they could away from the scene. It was only then that Konami heard the applause of the crowd around them. He was so caught up with the duel that he never noticed them forming a crowd, although they were in the middle of the popular shopping district. While he was distracted with the crowd, Akiza walked off not wanting to be surrounded by the crowd.

Konami looked around just in time to see her disappear behind a corner. Reacting quickly, he ran and picked up his groceries before following after her. He knew his earlier idea about her being lost was right. The road she was taking only lead down a dead end. Red Hat chased after the Black Rose as he approached the corner. When he turned it, he was met by an angry looking Akiza.

"What is it that you want?" She said, her face turning red from the anger. It was also probably from embarrassment as she realised she walked down a dead end.

"I was going to tell you this is a dead end." Konami quickly replied. "And I was wondering if you'd let me help you find wherever it is you're looking for?"

Akiza looked at the ground for a few seconds seemingly deep in thought. Her eyes snapped back to glare at Konami again. "Very well, I'll allow you to escort me to the Arcadia Movement."

"The Arcadia Movement?" Konami asked looking surprised. "That's in the complete opposite direction to where you're going."

Akiza's mask of anger finally slipped as she looked down at the ground in embarrassment. "….Sayer normally guides me when we're walking around… I don't really pay attention to how we get to places….. And this was something I didn't want to have him along for…. I wasn't sure what to do…."

Konami couldn't help but smile at the girl. When she dropped her ' _I hate everyone_ ' mask, she was actually kind of cute. As if she could read his mind, Akiza glared at him. "Just remember I can crush you like a bug whenever I want!" Konami gulped at the outburst.

"N-No problem…" Konami said rather nervously. "I'll lead the way to the Arcadia Movement."

Konami turned on his heel and started walking back down the main street. Akiza followed after him and didn't engage in any small talk. The silence was extremely awkward for Konami, who tried his best to kill the dead air.

"It's nice to have someone my own age to interact with." He said. "I haven't met many people the last few months since I arrived in Neo Domino City. Most of my friends from Duel Academy are either still there teaching or are competing around the world. I was travelling with them for a year, but I decided to settle down into an ordinary life as a mechanic on the side as well as a Turbo Duelist."

"Look, I really don't care." Akiza said without breaking stride.

"Oh, right. Sorry." Konami said, scratching the back of his neck with his spare hand. "Just trying to lighten the mood."

"Don't." Akiza said, barely casting him a glance. "I prefer silence."

Red Hat silently nodded his head as he picked up the pace of his walk. The girl was definitely not the small talk type of person. After a few more minutes of walking, they arrived just outside Konami's apartment.

"Do you mind if I just put my groceries away?" He asked her.

Her eyebrows clinched up as if she was going to object before she let out a small sigh. "Just be quick about it."

Konami smiled as he headed inside. Akiza stayed outside and started going through the route to his house from the shopping district in her head. It would be useful to remember it in case she ever needed the boy's help again. It would also be helpful if his house was on the way to the Arcadia Movement. She could use it as a landmark to tell herself that she was heading in the right direction.

"Phew… I'm back." Konami said as he walked back from his apartment. He raced through his house to make sure Akiza wasn't kept waiting. "We can keep heading straight down the footpath on the left to reach the Arcadia Movement HQ."

The pair resumed their walk in silence towards the building. Konami had tried whistling to break the silence but that was also shot down by Akiza. The rest of the walk was rather awkward and uncomfortable, especially for Konami who wasn't used to this silence from a tag partner. Normally he couldn't get Jaden or Crow to shut up.

After a few more minutes, Konami's PDA started buzzing. He looked down to see that Misty was ringing him. He turned to face Akiza. "You mind if I take this?"

"Go ahead." Akiza said. "I can see the Headquarters from here. You don't need me to walk any further." She started walking off without a backwards glance.

"Oh right." Konami said, slightly disappointed he couldn't make more of a breakthrough with the girl. "Glad I could help."

Just as he was about to answer the call, Akiza stopped. She didn't turn around as she spoke. "Uh…. I appreciate you helping me… It would have been troublesome finding this place alone."

Konami stood there stunned for a moment before he responded with a genuine smile. "No problem. If you ever need my help again, you know where to find me."

The two took off in opposite directions. As Konami answered the call from Misty, he decided then and there that he would help ease the Black Rose's pain no matter what.

 **{A/N}**

 **Just a quick little chapter to show off the characters meeting before the real meat of the story happens. The duel was short enough to show off that Konami and Akiza, in particular, are on a level above common duelists. It was a bit difficult writing Akiza without sounding too out of character. Feel free to let me know how you found her or any other aspect of the story. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy.**


	2. Chapter 2

Just a disclaimer to say, that Yu-Gi-Oh doesn't belong to me. All characters are owned by others. I'm merely using them in this fanfic for fun.

 **Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's – A Second Rose – Chapter Two**

Misty hadn't been best pleased with Konami for skipping out on their shopping trip. The former Slifer student had been so caught up in his work on the Duel Runner that he had completely forgotten about it. The world famous model had been scolding him non-stop since the incident. This only worsened when they returned to Konami's apartment to find that his fridge was once again completely empty.

"How many times does this have to happen before you remember to go shopping regularly?" Misty asked, with her beautiful face slightly scrunched up in a frown.

"Sorry. Sorry." Konami murmured, knowing he was in the wrong. "I'll work on it. I promise."

Misty's face softened as she looked at him. The manner in which he spoke and stood reminded her so much of Toby. "Look, I know I'm being harsh on you, but that's only because I want you to be safe and happy."

"I know." Konami said with complete sincerity. "I really appreciate you looking after me. I know you have a lot on your plate without worrying about me."

Misty reached out her hand and started to comb his fringe out of his face. "Just be careful, OK? Don't do anything reckless."

Red Hat had spent the next few days practically locked in his garage working on his Duel Runner. He completed the engine, but was running into difficulties when it came to the accelerator chip. The work was a precarious balancing act as he attempted to boost his Duel Runner's speed while maintaining its balance and sharp turning capabilities.

Countless attempts ended in failure, be it the chip exploding or short circuiting. Eventually, Konami specified it to his liking and returned to his apartment. The thirty hours without sleep had taken their toll on him. He kept hearing muffled voices, which he presumed were the Duel Monster Spirits trying to reach him. Konami was too tired to pay them any attention as he collapsed down into his bed. Immediately, he passed out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

He would remain in that position for the next two hours before a guest arrived at his house. Akiza approached the front door slightly hesitantly. As much as she didn't want to have to rely on Konami again, he had been useful last and it wasn't like she could trust anyone else with this task. The Arcadia member knocked on his door, pushing open the unlocked door in the process.

" _Honestly,_ " She thought to herself, " _what type of idiot doesn't even close their front door?_ "

She wandered in through the hallway before she froze at the sight of the boy asleep on his bed. He looked so peaceful and relaxed, almost as if nothing ever bothered him. To have that outlook on life made Akiza jealous. Here was someone who clearly never had to worry about anything significant, unlike her. Here was someone who felt so relaxed around people that he could sleep with his door open, not having to live in constant fear of people attacking him for being different.

Akiza couldn't escape the feeling of jealousy at a life so different from her own. With this envy fuelling her, she woke up Konami with more force than was required. She started shaking him by the shoulders as she yelled at him to wake up. "Hey! Red Hat!"

The boy woke with a startled jump, falling off the bed, landing on the floor with a thud. Gingerly, he started to make his way back to his feet as rubbed his lower back. "Ah, Akiza? Couldn't you have knocked first? And I have a name you know."

The burgundy haired girl frowned. "I did. You slept through it. And you're door was open, so I thought you were awake. Also, how can you sleep with a hat on?"

" _I've wondered that myself many times myself, fair maiden._ " Marauding Captain interjected from his spot by the fridge. " _And didn't you promise Misty to take better care of yourself? Locking your front door would be a good start._ "

"Ah, right." Konami said as he scratched his cheek. "Keep forgetting to lock that. Old habits die hard, right?"

Akiza let out a heavy sigh at the boy's antics. What were things coming to when this guy was the person she was relying on? "Anyway, aren't you wondering why I came all the way here looking for you?"

"Eh. I guess you need directions again?"

Akiza looked mildly offended by Konami's suggestion. "No! I'm here because I have something to ask of you, of course. And you know there isn't anyone else out there I can ask… if you say no, I'll understand. I'm used to being betrayed… and to being alone…"

"Jeez," Konami sighed, "you're being a tad melodramatic there, don't you think?"

Akiza glared at him.

"B-But… Not that I have a problem with that! Hahahaha…" Konami quickly explained, becoming nervous under Akiza's death stare. "I'll tag along…"

"You'll… come with me? Well… let's go then."

"Cool." Konami said, before hesitating as he caught whiff of his shirt. "Just give me a minute to change shirt."

Akiza sat down at his desk in the corner, keeping her eyes locked on him.

"R-Really?" Konami asked, blushing slightly. "You're not going to let me change in private?"

"I can't take the risk, in case you try escape out the window." She answered. "It's so annoying when people do that…."

Konami's eyebrows shot up his forehead at that last line. "Why were they fleeing out a window, may I ask?"

Akiza just glanced away as she avoided the question. "Besides if it's only your shirt then there's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Fine." Konami muttered as he walked over to his cupboard and pulled out a t-shirt that was the exact same as the one he was wearing. He was used to having his privacy interrupted due to Blair making him tag along in her attempts to attract his Tag Partner, Jaden. Still, he had hoped to have left this kind of thing behind at the Academy.

Akiza had her eyes turned as Konami took off his shirt. However, when she sneaked a glance at him she was surprised by what she saw. There was a strange burn mark and scar covering part of his back, just below his right shoulder blade. Konami noticed Akiza looking and quickly covered up his back.

"Alright." He said, ignoring the elephant in the room. "Time to head out. Where we off to?"

The Physic Duelist decided to let it slide, choosing not to ask how he managed to pull his shirt over his hat. It's not like she cared much for the boy. He was merely a means to an end. "I'll explain on the way."

The two set off, Konami barely remembering to lock his door on the way out. Akiza led the way to the Main Shopping Centre District again. Konami had given up on making any small talk after a few failed attempts and settled into an awkward silence. After a few moments, Akiza came to a stop as she looked around.

"Need directions?" Konami asked, trying to be helpful.

"No." Akiza barked back, offended by his lack of faith in her navigation skills. "Just trying to find a place to sit down where we can discuss things."

At that moment, Konami's stomach started to rumble. Red Hat soon became Red Face as the embarrassment showed on his face. Akiza looked back over her shoulder in annoyance at the loud interruption.

"H-Hey, don't judge." Konami said rather sheepishly. "I haven't had a chance to have breakfast yet."

"It's three o'clock." Akiza replied, seriously questioning her choice of companion.

"I got caught up working on my Duel Runner." He offered as a weak excuse, as the boy scuffed his feet on the ground.

"Fine." Akiza sighed, exasperated. If this is what it was like to have friends then she definitely didn't miss out on much. "We can go somewhere you can eat and I'll explain everything."

"Ha. Sweet. I know just the place."

Akiza baulked as she saw the all you can eat buffet that Konami had led her to. "I thought you wanted to have breakfast?"

The former Slifer student turned back to face her with a wide grin. "I might as well make the most of it." He ran inside as Akiza took a seat at a table outside.

She sat watching the boy happily load up his plate. His natural enthusiasm for food was unlike anything that she had ever seen. As his plate became more loaded, she found herself wondering how long it had been since he last ate. How could someone get so caught up in something that they forget to eat?

"Wow. This is awesome." Konami happily said, performing the difficult balancing act of carrying all his food over. The food took up the entire table and made Akiza feel queasy as she saw the combos of food he had. Was there anything he didn't pick up she wondered?

"So," Konami started as he picked up his chicken wings, "what do you need help with?"

The boy's ridiculous appetite had temporarily made Akiza forget why she asked the boy for help. "Ah, y-yes, right. Well…. I need your help… with a private matter…."

Konami wolfed down his bowl of rice before replying, "Sure. What do you need me to do?"

Akiza felt a rush of gratitude towards the boy to hear the boy agree to help her. "T-Thank you. You see I need help with a matter that I'm unused to. My relationship with my parents is far from what you would call perfect."

Konami mowed his way through a pizza as he nodded intently. Familial problems were something he had to deal with regularly back at the Academy. Chazz immediately sprung to mind.

"Many things have suffered as a result of that." Akiza continued. "Unfortunately one of those things is my relationships with my little sister."

Konami stopped his eating at that. "You have a little sister? I never knew that. You never mentioned that before…."

Akiza looked at him with a slightly confused glare. "Of course you didn't. You only met me a few days ago."

"Oh, right!" Konami exclaimed, laughing to cover his tracks. "My bad. It just surprised me a little. That's all."

"Anyway," Akiza said, ignoring his babbling, "That's what I wanted your help with. I want to improve my relationship with my sister. I know I'm not the best when it comes to this kind of thing, so I need someone's help to deal with her."

Konami looked at Akiza with genuine surprise. The girl was rather blunt and to the point. She didn't pull any punches, even at her own expense. Konami quickly formulated a plan to help her in his head.

"Tell me more about her."

"Right. Her name is Sakura. She's fourteen years old. The last time I spoke to her she was starting to become more reserved as a person. I suppose she started going into her shell to cope with how my relationship with our parents unravelled."

Konami started thinking as Akiza momentarily stopped to reflect on her past. He ran through what little information Akiza actually gave him on the younger girl. If she's fourteen then she would have started at the local Duel Academy recently. That would mean she would be in an awkward phase of her life, especially if she's already a more reserved character. Back when he was around that age he was extremely awkward. There were days where he wouldn't speak to anyone at all. If it wasn't for Jaden, Syrus and Chumley, he wouldn't have lasted.

A young girl at that age could benefit from having an older sister around her. A figure that wasn't a parent yet had more authority than a friend. Akiza may also benefit from having a person around her to care for and pressure her into being a role model. The Spirits told him that Akiza was a good person and he could see the fear and pain in her eyes. However the question remained whether or not Akiza was ready for the role.

"…Red Hat? Red Hat? Has the food clogged up your brain?"

Konami snapped backed to attention. Akiza had been waving her hand in front of him, trying to get his attention. Her face was red meaning she must have been trying to get his attention for a rather long time.

"S-Sorry. Blanked out there."

Akiza puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. She was arching her fingers as she leaned her chin on her hands. "I was saying apparently she's a competent duelist."

"Ah, right. Not surprising if she's anything like you. I guess it runs in the family."

Red Hat noticed at his last sentence Akiza's hands suddenly balled up. Her look of annoyance faded as she instead had a thousand yard stare on her face. "Everything OK, Akiza?"

"What you said. If she's like me. I hope that she isn't."

"You hope she isn't a competent duelist?"

"No. I hope she isn't a physic duelist." Akiza said as her eyes snapped back to look at Konami. "The path of being an outsider to society is hard. I hope that she doesn't have to walk down the same path I did."

Konami couldn't help but smile as he saw a different side to Akiza. One he hadn't thought existed. His smile didn't go unnoticed.

"What's with that look on your face?"

"Nothing." Konami murmured as he picked up a piece of toast. "It's just that I think you'd make a good big sister."

Whatever the Arcadia Movement member was expecting it wasn't that. The boy's compliment was so sincere she wasn't sure how to respond. It had been years since anyone had given her a non-dueling related compliment.

"Uhm. Right, yes, anyway." Akiza said eager to move away from that awkwardness. "Anyway, I need your help to reach out to her. My conversation skills aren't the best and it has been quite a while since we last spoke. It may be uncomfortable for her if I approached her by myself."

"No problem." Konami happily replied. "Making people open up is a speciality of mine. Like right now."

The physic duelist recoiled as she realised that the boy was right. She had revealed more about herself than she had planned. Red Hat gave off such a naturally inviting aura that it was hard not talking to him. Akiza scowled at her companion.

"Don't worry. Fair's fair. I'll tell you more about me. Wanna hear about my duels against the legendary Zane Truesdale? I nearly won a few times…. after being steamrolled the first time, but we all got to start somewhere right?"

"Not particularly."

"Ooh. Tough crowd. Alrighty then. How about my ability to talk to Duel Spirits?" Konami noticed Akiza's interest was piqued at that. "It's true. I can communicate with the spirits of the cards."

"That's preposterous!"

"No offence, Akiza, but aren't you a duelist who can make cards come to life? Is it really that much of a stretch?" Akiza didn't object to that point. "That's why I know you are a good person. Your cards' spirits are telling me that you are."

"How can you talk to them?"

Konami scratched his cheek as he thought about how to answer the question. "It's hard to explain. Some cards are easier to speak to than others, like my Marauding Captain. I can see his physical form. Other times I can only hear their voices. Like your Black Rose Dragon."

"Really? What does it say then?"

Konami knew better than to answer that question honestly. If he pushed her too much Akiza would withdraw back within her shell. It was like walking on near a landmine. A false step could end his attempt to help Akiza. "Not much. Just that you're a really great duelist."

"That's disappointing."

"Can't be helped. Anyway, now that we know more about each other, tell me your plan to reach out to Sakura."

"Right. Well, she's attending Duel Academy right now. So I can meet her on her walk back from school before she reaches home. It'll save me from having to put up with my parents."

"Mightn't your parents pick her up from school?"

Akiza suppressed a bitter laugh at that. "My parents are far too busy to take the time to do something as mundane as collecting someone from school. My father in particular."

Konami could clearly see that there was a story behind that, but he didn't want to pull the pin in that grenade. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told him that Duel Academy would be ending soon. They'd have to bet a move on. He couldn't risk Akiza snapping about her parents now. Stepping up from the table, he adjusted his hat before speaking. "Alright! Let's go!"

The pair made their way through Neo Domino City in a few minutes. Luckily the restaurant Konami had picked was relatively central in the city, so everything was close by. The Academy was just a few minutes' walk away. They walked in silence again; however Konami noticed that Akiza seemed a lot more uncomfortable than she would normally be. She was clearly running through all the possible scenarios in her mind of what could happen. Konami didn't want to speak and tempt her to run away now that she was so close.

They stopped at the corner of the street leading to the Academy. Students were making their way out, some walking home in groups, other saying goodbye as they parted ways. Konami's eyes immediately locked on one girl, saying goodbye to a friend with a shy smile on her face. She stood out like a sore thumb in that crowd, if you knew what to look for.

Her burgundy hair was waist length and flowed down her back with elegance. The similarities in facial features between her and Akiza were striking. They almost looked like twins, except Sakura's features were softer. The cheeks were fuller and the eyes rounder, but there was no mistaking it; she was Akiza's sister alright. The only major noticeable difference between the two was the eyes. Akiza's brown eyes that carried so much pain and fear where replaced by emerald green orbs that carried a gentle, kindness to them.

"There she is. She's safe and happy…. with her friends." Akiza seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. "We should leave. It's best that I don't do this."

Konami looked puzzled at this. "You've come so far Akiza. Don't you even want to say hello or wave at her? She's your sister after all. You wanted to see her again."

"It's not about what I want!" Akiza snapped back, scowling again. "It's about what she wants and what keeps her happy and safe!"

"Have you even checked what she wants? Maybe she wants this. Maybe she wants you to talk to her. I definitely think she wants to know that her sister hasn't forgotten about her and that she still loves her no matter what."

Akiza looked slightly taken aback by Konami's outburst. She looked like she may argue again before a voice called out.

"Big Sis?!"

 **{A/N}**

 **I'm still working on getting Akiza's speech pattern to sound natural. Feel free to let me know anything that needs work. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed.**


	3. Chapter 3

Just a disclaimer to say, that Yu-Gi-Oh doesn't belong to me. All characters are owned by others. I'm merely using them in this fanfic for fun.

 **Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's – A Second Rose – Chapter Three**

Sakura stood looking at Akiza with her mouth making an 'o' shape. Her eyes started to widen to the size of saucers as she realised that it really was her big sister in front of her. Akiza stood in shock, not knowing how to react to being caught just as she was about to leave. The younger sister's eyes dropped noticing that Konami had stopped Akiza from leaving by grabbing her hand. Her face went bright red as she finally realised that the boy was present.

"O-Oh! I didn't notice you were with your boyfriend…" She exclaimed awkwardly.

"Actually-" Konami started, letting go of her hand.

"There's no chance we'd ever be dating!" Akiza snapped. Her eyes widen as she realised the first thing she had said to her sister in years was so harsh.

There was a small crowd of students still nearby. Konami scanned the crowd to see if there was anyone likely to cause a scene – well, more of a scene anyway. Most of the students looked on silently before turning away when they saw Konami looking at them. The former Slifer had to rub his eyes as he saw someone who could pass as Inspector Gadget hiding behind a lamppost at the corner of the street. When he opened his eyes again, the man was gone. Konami cursed himself for going so long without sleep. He must be delirious at this stage.

"O-Of course. My mistake…" Sakura weakly said, looking rather downtrodden.

"S-Sorry," Akiza said, shuffling rather uncomfortably on the spot, "I didn't mean for that to be so harsh. It's good to see you again, Sakura."

The young girl smiled softly at that. "I-I've missed you, Big Sis. Mama and Papa do too."

Akiza immediately tensed up at the mention of her parents. Konami quickly intervened before she could say something she would regret. He leaned in closer and whispered, "Forget about them. This is about Sakura."

The Arcadia member nodded her head and she exhaled air to try keep her composure. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, but circumstances weren't kind to me."

Sakura's smile faded as she thought back to their childhood. "Y-Yeah, I know. It's just it was hard… without you…"

The sisters fell into an awkward silence as Konami glanced at both of their faces. It was clear that they both had some things they wanted to say to each other, but they weren't sure how. Akiza's departure years ago had severed their sisterly bond, making communicating to each other awkward. The two weren't used to talking to each other. They were supposed to be close, but they interacted as if they were complete strangers. In a way, they were. People can change in a few years, especially if they go through everything that Akiza did.

Sakura was easy for Konami to read. While she was happy to see her sister again, she clearly had no idea what to do. He could see exactly what Akiza had meant by "reserved". She looked shy and unsure of herself. Not holding eye contact for long, always shifting her focus when someone looked directly at her. Akiza was clearly too socially stunted to lead the conversation and say what needed to be said.

Luckily for them, years of partnering up with Jaden left Konami knowing exactly what to do. "If you guys have things to say to each other that you can't say with words, let your dueling do the talking for you!"

Akiza and Sakura both looked at Red Hat with differing expressions. Sakura glanced over at Akiza with cautious optimism, while Akiza glared at Konami.

"What are you doing?" She muttered under her breath, low enough so that only Konami could hear her. "I'll wipe the floor with her. You know this!"

"Really?" Konami replied. "You said she's meant to be an exceptional duelist. If that's true, let her prove herself against you. Younger siblings always want to prove themselves to their big brothers and sisters. Sakura never got the chance to face you before. Try make up for the memories she missed out on in your absence."

"I-I'd like to duel you…"Sakura said, looking down at the ground.

"What?" Akiza asked, whipping her head around to check that it was actually her sister who spoke.

"I-I want to duel you." Sakura repeated, more confidently this time.

Konami leaned in closer to Akiza. "If nothing else," he whispered, "think of it as a warm-up for the Fortune Cup."

Akiza glared at Konami before sighing, "Fine. I'll accept your delusional idea."

After she heard this, Sakura started smiling despite her best efforts to put on a poker face. She wanted her sister to take her seriously and see her as more than just her little sister. She wanted her to see her as a capable duelist as well. They made their way over to a nearby duel field in the park. Akiza merely walked a few steps away to leave enough distance between the two to duel, while Konami stayed out of their way and stood on the sideline.

Konami couldn't help, but shake a strange feeling that someone was watching them. Glancing around, there appeared to be no one in sight. He shook his head to try get rid of this feeling. Years of having lunatics chase after him must have left him paranoid. Red Hat turned his attention back to the sisters on the duel field. "Come on!" He yelled. "Let your dueling do the talking!"

 **AKIZA 4000LP VS SAKURA 4000LP**

"I'll start things off." Akiza said, drawing her card. "I'll begin by summoning Evil Thorn in Attack Mode." (ATK: 300). A creepy, depressing looking plant appeared on the field. "Next I'll activate my monster's effect. I'll tribute it to inflict 300 points of damage to you." The thorn exploded, sending small pins at Sakura. The young girl raised her hands to block the attack. ( **Sakura LP: 3700** ). "Next, per the effect of Evil Thorn, I can summon two more of it from my deck in Attack Mode, but they can't use their effect. I'll end my turn with two face downs."

"Not bad." Konami thought to himself, looking on at the duel. "Akiza inflicted damage, bulked up her defence and got some cards in her back row on her first turn."

"Sir," Marauding Captain said interrupting the boy's thoughts, "I hope that you're aware that there's an unusual presence around this duel."

"I know, MC, but there's not a lot I can do." Konami whispered to his partner. "I can't see whoever it is, so I'm going to have to wait them out."

"M-My turn." Sakura murmured. "I'll send my Rose Paladin to the Graveyard to add a level 7 or higher Plant-Type monster from my deck to my hand. The monster I pick is Queen Angel of Roses. Next I'll summon Rose Lover in Attack Mode." (ATK: 800). A stunningly beautiful blonde woman appeared on the field.

Konami couldn't help but think about how at home it would be in Blair's deck and how Syrus would drool all over the card. It may even knock Dark Magician Girl off his top spot.

"I'll have my Rose Lover attack your Evil Thorn." The maiden quickly destroyed the plant as Akiza didn't even flinch from the damage. ( **Akiza's LP: 3500** ). "I'll end my turn with a face down."

"She dealt with that quite well." Konami observed. "She didn't let Akiza overawe her and she set up a good strategy as well."

"Sir, I must say there is a weird energy around here, it is rather unsettling."

Konami glanced around the duel field again. Whoever was causing this strange aura didn't want to be seen. It worried Red Hat that whoever this person was, they had enough power to affect even duel spirits.

"Nicely done, but it's my turn now." Akiza drew her card. "I'll summon Lord Poison in Attack Mode." (ATK: 1500). A horrific, mangled monster appeared on Akiza's side of the field. "Now I'll activate my spell card Mark of the Rose. This card allows me to take control of one monster of yours every turn. I'll equip it to your Rose Lover." A rose mark appeared on the woman's face as she turned her back on Sakura and joined Akiza on her side of the field. "I'll attack directly with my three monsters." Sakura was blown backwards as the monsters all attacked en masse. ( **Sakura's LP: 1100** ). "I'll end my turn by equipping Rose Lover with Vengeful Servant. When control of this card is changed, the new owner of the card takes damage equal to its original Attack." Rose Lover made her way back to Sakura's side of the field. As she turned back to face Akiza, she whipped her head back, slamming Sakura with her hair. ( **Sakura's LP: 300** ).

"Why did Akiza go to such lengths to take control of Rose Lover?" Marauding Captain asked. "She could have easily destroyed it with Lord Poison."

"She knows its effect. She'd be put at a massive disadvantage if Sakura had it in the Graveyard."

"D-Draw. I'll activate Tribute to the Doomed. I'll send Revival Rose to the Graveyard to destroy my Rose Lover." The fair maiden was dragged underground by a mummy in a scene that wouldn't look out of place in a horror movie.

"Guess Akiza's not the only one with a bit of an edge to her. Sakura's not just about pretty cards." Konami muttered under his breath.

"Now I'll activate Rose Lover's effect. By removing it from play in my Graveyard, I can special summon a Plant-Type monster from my hand. And the one I'll summon is the Queen Angel of Roses!" A majestic, winged monster descended from the light, carrying a lance. ( **ATK: 2400** ). "Now I'll attack your Evil Thorn with Queen Angel." The Queen cut through the thorn with ease, sending shards of pixels at Akiza. This time even she had to raise her arms to block. ( **Akiza's LP: 1400** ). "I'll set one monster face down and end my turn."

Konami could shake the feeling that the way Sakura dueled would have been how Akiza would have dueled if it wasn't for…. Red Hat was caught up in the duel as Sakura appeared to be far more confident now. That may have been misplaced in his mind. Akiza drew her card as Konami looked on. Straight away he knew that Sakura's decision to inflict more damage instead of destroying cards that Akiza could use later on would cost her.

"I'll summon Twilight Rose Knight in Attack Mode." (ATK: 1000). The familiar monster appeared on the field. "Next, I'll tune it with my Lord Poison. Chilling flames engulf the entire world. Pitch-dark flower, set into bloom! Appear now, Black Rose Dragon!"

A storm blew around the duelists, sending rose petals flying about the place. Konami lifted his arms to protect himself. He quickly dropped them when he realised that they didn't hurt. Akiza was reigning in her powers against her sister. He couldn't help by smile as he saw the drop of concentration on Akiza's forehead.

"Now I'll activate my Black Rose's effect. By removing from play one of the Evil Thorns in my Graveyard, I can turn one of your monsters to Attack Mode and turn its attack to zero." Sakura's Rose Fairy was grabbed by vines as she was turned into Attack Mode. "Now I'll attack your Rose Fairy with Black Rose Dragon." The dragon's vines crushed the fairy as Sakura's LPs hit zero.

 **AKIZA 1400LP (WIN) VS SAKURA 0000LP (LOSE)**

Suddenly a pink light flashed from out of the shadows, underneath the overpass. Akiza started glowing pink as her hair roll fell out. The hologram of her dragon didn't fade away. Instead it let out a roar. Whatever that light was, Konami thought, it's hurting the Black Rose Dragon.

The dragon had lost complete control and even Akiza couldn't stop it. The vines from the dragon started trashing about. The whips smashed around the duel field, knocking over a nearby basketball net and football goalposts. Sakura started retreating slowly, a look of fear evident on her face. Her eyes went as wide as saucers, as tears started to form in her eyes.

"N-No…" Akiza yelled, "Stop! The duel's over!"

Konami quickly dodged a stray vine that smashed the ground where he had been standing seconds beforehand. He glanced at Akiza and saw that she didn't know what to do. She looked horrified as her monster refused to yield. Red Hat still couldn't shake this feeling that there was someone else there.

"Ah!" He yelled in frustration. "No time for being paranoid. Think!"

Unfortunately as he said that, the situation worsened. One of Black Rose Dragon's vines shot out once again. It was aimed right at Sakura. The young girl was paralyzed by fear and didn't know how to react. She stood there as the vine came ever closer to hitting her.

Without thinking, Konami ran from the sideline and threw himself in front of Sakura. He pulled her into a hug to protect her from the vine and braced himself for the impact. Konami sensed the Marauding Captain do his best to push them out of the way of the attack, but it was in vain. The vine whipped Konami on his back, sending him flying across the duel field. He held Sakura close to make sure that she didn't get hurt. He, however, was not so lucky.

The boy's legs started to spasm in pain as he tried sitting up. A sharp pain cut through his entire body as he fell back down. "Ah! That's fairly brisk." He muttered as he put his hand on his back.

"Konami…" Sakura murmured in shock about what had happened. She was still too stunned to try help him.

"Red Hat!" Akiza rushed over to try check on him. Thankfully the shock of Konami's actions seemed to stop her powers from overflowing. She reached down to help him sit up, leaning him up against the wall. His face was pale from the pain, but he didn't seem to have any bleeding. The Black Rose duelist felt relieved that the boy was largely unharmed.

"Ah…. Not gonna lie, Konami said with a forced attempt at his goofy smile, "that really hurt…"

"T-Thank you." Sakura replied, smiling sadly. "If it wasn't for you, I'd have been in trouble…"

An awkward silence hung over the three as the situation fully sunk in. Konami turned his attention away from Sakura to Akiza. The relief in her eyes was quickly replaced by a look of fear and pain. She rose to her feet and ran off before either Konami or Sakura could get a word in. Konami quickly stumbled to his feet as well. He went to follow after her, before he turned to face Sakura.

"Look, it was nice to meet you. Wish it would have ended better, but oh well. Try to go easy on Akiza. She didn't mean it and she cares a lot about you. I'll talk to her and try to get her to see reason. I'm sure she'll be back if you allow it."

Sakura nodded her head. "I'd like that. Thank you again, Konami."

Konami hobbled off as fast as he could after Akiza. Sakura stood there looking at the young man run. He was trying to move in as convincing a manner as possible, but it was clear that he was hurt. He could barely breathe without being in pain, she suspected. If it didn't know why he was running like that she would almost have found his run to be rather funny, like a badly drawn cartoon character. She had to admire his toughness.

Konami chased after Akiza until he finally saw her turn at a corner. Once again, Konami knew she led herself down a dead-end. The girl still didn't know where to go besides a few places close to the Arcadia Movement. The girl couldn't function without the "Sayer" she spoke of. On this occasion though, Konami wasn't complaining. It meant he could stop running and lean up on the wall for support.

"G-Go away!" Akiza yelled her voice breaking as she spoke. "I know what you're going to say. That I'm a monster. That I'm a witch. I've heard it before and I don't care!"

The sun was setting as the sky turned orange, casting shadows down on Akiza in the alleyway. The sun was still shining down on Konami as looked at the girl. He sighed heavily as the feeling of guilt weighed heavily upon him. He plastered a forced, reassuring smile onto his face as he moved a few steps closer to Akiza.

"Listen, Akiza. What happened isn't your fault. You're not a monster. A monster wouldn't have tried so hard to hold back against Sakura as you did. A monster wouldn't fell concern for someone else like you clearly do. A monster wouldn't feel remorse like you do. Anyone who thinks you're a monster is an idiot. You just need to learn to control your powers. "

"I thought I could!" She snapped back. "I don't understand why that happened. It hasn't happened since…."

"I know it's not the same, but one of my friends back at Duel Academy had skills similar to yours. He could make monsters become real. I didn't real understand it. I still don't to be honest, but the fact is that he was able to control it. I helped him practise with his powers back then and I'll help you practise now."

"Help? Like anyone would ever help me." Akiza spat bitterly.

"Please listen to me, Akiza. Believe me when I say that I want to help you. I want to be your friend if you'll let me. You can doubt my motives all you want; you can accuse me of being a fraud or whatever you want. But the fact of the matter is I am not going to stop trying to help you. For both your sake and Sakura's, I promise that I will do everything in my power to help. All I'm asking you to do is trust me and give me the chance to help you."

The pair locked eyes as Konami stared at Akiza's golden eyes that had a shade of pink to them from the crying. Slowly, he extended his hand towards her. He held it there for several moments as she stared at it, unsure of what she should do. The psychic staggered towards him, uncertain whether to trust him or not. The closer she got the more decisive her steps became, as she left the shadows of the alley behind.

Akiza made the final push as she extended out her hand. Konami took hold of it as he pulled her out into the sunlight. His resolve was ironclad. There would be no way that he'd fail either sister. He would not allow that to happen.

Sayer sank into the seat behind his desk. He slid a USB stick into the computer in front of him as he looked at the charts on the screen as a video of Akiza's rampage played out before his eyes. His experiment yielded interesting results. He never expected the first trial run to ramp up Akiza's powers to such a high level. Even when she wanted to she couldn't stop them.

The minor annoyance of Akiza's concern for her sister was bothersome, but not unsolvable. There were many ways to deal with such matters. The same went for the annoying boy who insisted in getting in the way of things. If he hadn't interfered, Akiza would have taken care of one of the problems and given him another vice to further bring her under his control. He would have to keep an eye on that "Red Hat".

Even then, he would only prove to be a minor speed bump. For no one could stop, Sayer's plans from coming to fruition.

 **{A/N}**

 **Sorry that this one was a bit more delayed than I intended. I was extremely busy with charity and voluntary work in recent weeks. I'll be busy with college now as well, so I'll have to see how often I can upload. Thanks for everyone who read, favourite, followed or reviewed this story. Much appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 4

Just a disclaimer to say, that Yu-Gi-Oh doesn't belong to me. All characters are owned by others. I'm merely using them in this fanfic for fun.

 **Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's – A Second Rose – Chapter Four**

"Konami! Konami! Let me in!"

Misty stood outside the former Slifer's apartment, knocking heavily on the door. He had missed their coffee morning an hour ago, causing Misty to worry about the young man's safety. It wasn't uncommon for him to sleep in or get caught up working on his Duel Runner and forgetting all about his previous plans. What had the supermodel worried was the fact that for the first time in the months she knew him, Konami had his front door locked.

"You better open this door before I have to ask again!" Misty cared greatly for Konami, but his reckless habits could be could vexing to put it politely.

"C-Coming. I'll be right there," came the weak reply, "Oh Ra!"

A loud crash could be heard from inside the apartment. Misty's eyebrows shot into her hairline as she started to worry more. What was happening in there? A loud twist of the bolt quickly followed, as Konami pulled back the door.

Misty gasped as she took in the boy's appearance. He looked four shades paler than normal, his hair was sweaty and a tangled mess. Dark bags under his eyes gave Red Hat the look of a panda. His torso was exposed, revealing sloppily applied bandages flecked with bits of blood. The boy looked a mess.

"N-Now before you say anything-" Konami began before Misty stormed in.

The model was surprisingly strong for a woman of such slender build. She dragged Konami over towards his sink and gently took his bandages off. It revealed a deep cut on his back, nearly identical to his scar, just fresher. Blood seeped out of the cut, mixing with the sweat on his lower back. If she wasn't mistaken, the boy also must be sick, possibly from an infection to the wound.

"L-Look, Misty. I-I know you're angry with me, but-"

"I'm not angry," the raven haired beauty softly whispered as she rinsed a cloth under the tap and began cleaning the blood away, "I'm just disappointed that you didn't listen to me. I'm disappointed you let yourself get hurt again after I told you to be careful."

Konami hung his head his shame. The words from Misty hit harder than anytime a professor told him something similar at Duel Academy. She had always been so nice to him and he had let her down. Konami hated one thing more than anything else: hurting those he cared about. He struggled to find the words to express his feelings to Misty.

"I care about you, Konami. You have no idea how much you mean to me. I never want to see you hurt. You're family to me. When you're hurt, I'm hurt. Just remember that and think before you act next time."

"I had a good reason! I promise!" Konami replied, his voice a pitch higher as he quickly got his sentences out. "I was helping this young girl and her sister when-"

"I don't doubt you had good intentions, Konami," Misty cut across, "but it's not your responsibility. If someone needs help, you should send them to Sector Security. You shouldn't put yourself in harm's way. Isn't that why you left your friend Jaden and came to Neo Domino City? To put the mad adventures of Duel Academy behind you and move on with the next step of your life? To enjoy a quiet life?"

"Y-Yes, but I can't just leave people who need help on their own. It's not right."

"Kon-kun, it's not your responsibility. We can't change other people; we can only look after ourselves. I knew a boy like you. He had the same ideals as you. To help everyone. To always do the right thing. You even have his admirable but annoying habit of trusting people with important information about him. That got him nothing but hurt and pain. Don't make the same mistakes. I can't protect you from everything as much as I wish I could."

Konami started to feel tears well up in his eyes. He knew Misty cared about him, but he couldn't let go of his ideals, could he? He was a strong person, he could take whatever blows life threw at him. Wasn't it his responsibilities to help those less fortunate than him? Besides, when it came to Akiza he had to repay her.

"Kon-kun, please I'm begging you. Don't do anything stupid that'll get you hurt even worse. I don't want to lose you. If I were to lose you, I don't know what I'd do."

Konami struggled to twist his body around to bring the model in for a hug. His back ached and the action stretched his skin, reopening the wound, but he didn't care. All that matter to him was hugging his friend. Misty returned the boy's affection, gently wrapping her arms around him, cradling his battered body as if he was a newborn.

Misty pulled back and held Konami's face in her hands as she gently stroked his face. She locked eyes with him before gasping.

"What's the matter, Misty?" Konami asked, looking around the room.

"N-Nothing. It's just I saw your future." Misty looked a little shook.

"Oh. Cool. What did you see?"

Misty hesitated before she spoke. "You and I standing together. Side by side." Konami couldn't stop himself from laughing. "What's so funny?" Misty said, an annoyed look on her face.

"Some fortune telling skills you have! I could have told you that! Like I'm leaving you anytime soon." Misty playfully slapped his shoulder, forgetting the boy's injuries. "o-Ow!"

"Sorry. To make up for that, I'll get you patched up in no time."

The pair laughed as Misty scolded Konami for missing their lunch. The model cleaned Red Hat's back, applying bandages to it as he laughed jovially. With his back turned to her, Konami was unable to see the pain in her eyes.

"DUEL COMPLETE! VICTORY AKIZA IZINSKI!"

The duel bot repeated this several times as Sayer made his way over to his prized student. The burgundy haired girl barely broke a sweat as she easily disposed of the mechanical opponent in record time. Sayer was impressed with how she was shaping up for the Fortune Cup.

"Nice work, Akiza. Keep this up and the Fortune Cup will belong to the Arcadia Movement." The man's silky smooth voice carried an air that of kindness to it. This wasn't matched in his eyes.

"I need to do better. I need to keep improving." Akiza responded like an empty shell. She seemed distant despite her comfortable victory. Almost as if she wanted to just get the exercise over with.

"You will, don't you worry." Sayer said as persuasive as a used cars salesman. "But there's something else I'd like to discuss with you."

"What would that be?" Akiza asked as they walked back to Sayer's office.

"I've just heard reports about a powerful Duelist. He's found of wearing a red hat and goes by the name of Konami." Akiza immediately froze up. "I was just wondering if you knew anything about him. One of my reports claims that you two tag dueled together. He seems to have had quite the time in Duel Academy Island, after a transfer from the mainland Duel Academy."

Akiza gulped nervously. She didn't care much for Red Hat, but if she gave anything away about him it may lead Sayer to Sakura or cause Red Hat to not help her. Sakura deserved a better life than she had, so she'd do what she needed to protect her. It served her best interests to keep her cards close to her chest. As much as she hated lying to him, she'd have to deny her knowledge of Red Hat.

"Yes, I recall dueling with someone who matches that description. However, I have not seen him since or had any contact with him."

Sayer looked in Akiza's eyes before nodding his head and sighing. "That's a shame. I was hoping to see if he'd be interested in working with us if he had your recommendation as a Duelist. Never mind. That'll be all. You can rest up now."

Akiza left quickly; she didn't feel good about lying to Sayer, but she needed to protect Sakura. And she didn't feel as though she should mention Red Hat's claims about seeing Duel Spirits. How could she tell Sayer that without telling him about why he told her that?"

Back in his office, Sayer sat in silence with his chin resting on his bridged fingers. He contemplated what Akiza's lies meant. The boy must have some degree of control over her if Akiza would lie to her saviour for him. Or was she trying to hide something else? Was it to try protect little Sakura? No, that would be pointless. The young girl was a squib as far as psychic powers were concerned. She was useless to Sayer. And he had overheard the boy mention something of having powers of his own.

This Konami was someone that Sayer would definitely have to test. And he knew just how to do it.

Konami answered his PDA. Misty had left a few hours ago to go on a chat show, leaving him to rest up.

A gruff voiced barked out an address they wanted Konami to go to for a job. Something about a security door malfunctioning.

As much as he knew Misty wanted him to rest up, he had to pay his bills. His growling stomach reminded him he needed to do his groceries. Sighing as he threw on his clothes, Konami left for the address in the City Top's.

 **{A/N}**

 **Apologies for this being much more delayed than I intended. I had some issues at work to deal with, and once I sorted those out college work piled up on me. This chapter is a little short, but I decided to upload it as connective tissue for the next Chapter. Hopefully that wouldn't take me as long as to update. Thanks for anyone who read, reviewed, favourited or followed this story. Much appreciated.**


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